Chapter Ten:Aura at the Ruins

The nest few days passed without Aura giving any sign that she had met with Miha. Only Kratos knew that she had spoken with the cat. On the day that the group had decided to leave, Aura was nowhere to be found. Seeing as her staff was in her room at the inn, they knew she had to bre somewhere in the city. After searching all of Asgard with no luck, they decided to search by the ruins.

"There she is!" Colette exclaimed suddenly. Standing on the stone dais was Aura. She was staring at the sky, her hair and clothes blowing in the wind. When she heard Colette yell, she turned and looked. Smiling, she ran toward them.

"Sorry! Where you all looking for me?" Lloyd nodded. "I just came up here to think." she said. She turned and looked at the stone dais behind her.

"What about?" Lloyd inquired. Aura looked back at him.

"Well..." Aura replied uncertainly.

"Oh. Right." said Lloyd. "You're memories." Aura nodded.

"I feel like I've been here before, but I can't remember." Everyone was silent for a moment before Kratos said that they should go back to the inn and rest before their departure.

Later that night, when everyone else was asleep, Kratos sat alone in the inn lobby. He had been unable to sleep and did not want to wake Lloyd, whom he was sharing a room with, so he had come downstairs to think. All was silent for most of the time he had been sitting there, except for a few coughs and a sneeze from some of the upstairs rooms.

Kratos had gotten used to how quiet things weres, so the sound of someone coming down the stairs made him jump. Although the person coming down the stairs sounded as though they were trying to go unheard, but his angelic hearing made the sound ten times louder than it really was. Kratos sat motionless in the shadows, bot daring to make a sound.

Aura crept down the stairs and through the lobby, walking very quietly. She seemed to be sneaking out. After checking to see that no one was following her, she went outside. Wondering where she was going, Kratos followed her. Once outside, he saw that she was running toward the ruins again. When she arrived, she ran her fingers over the stone. Out of nowhere, the dragon plushie that had been floating around her in the clearing, appeared.

"Ryugo..." Aura mumured. The dragon blinked at her.

"Whassa matter, Aura?" it said in a squeaky voice. "You were only supposed to call me if you really needed some help."

"I'm sorry..." Aura replied. "But I really need you to look for important people for me, ok?" Ryugo nodded then disappeared.

Aura turned just as Kratos walked up.

"Am I...interrupting anything?" he asked. She stared at him for amoment, then said,

"N-no." she turned to look at the stone dais again. "I...just came up here to think..." Kratos walked over and stood beside her, also staring at the dais. "I...keep feeling like I've been here before." Kratos looked at her. "I made a deal...with Miha..."

"A deal?" Kratos asked.

"Y-yes..." Aura replied. "If I can find important people or places fro my past, she will give me back a piece of memory concerning my...my death...then I'll remember everything."

"Death?"

"When I became the Key of the Twilight, I died. And my body was regenerated in exchange for my memories."

"Is this a memory you recovered?" Kratos inquired.

"No. Miha gave told me when I woke up." Aura replied. Kratos said nothing and turned to look at the stone dais. They were silent for a moment, but then Kratos asked,

"Have you regained any memories yet?" Aura nodded.

"Yes. The other day, when I...spoke with...with Lloyd, I got a small piece...but I don't remember him...and now...I feel like there is something important here." She shook her head exasperated.

"I...I want to remember! I really do! But...I don't know where any of the people or places are! And...I don't want to make anyone go out of their way to help me search!"

"I'm sure the chsoen would be willing to help you." Kratos said. "We were only headed to Iselia to visit Dirk."

"Dirk?" Aura asked. Kratos nodded.

"The dwarf who raised Lloyd when..." he broke off. Aura sighed.

"When you had to kill Anna." she finished. they weres ilent for a moment and neither moved a muscle. But after a few minutes, Aura said,

"Would you all reall help?" Kratos looked at her.

"The chosen is a kind person. She will be more than willing to help, as will the rest of us." he paused. "i wil ask them tomorrow." Aura looked at him with her eyes shining.

"Thank you! Thanks so much!" she said as she flung he arms around his neck and hugged him tightly before running off in the direction of the inn.